


Elliott O'Riley

by sloganeer



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-15
Updated: 2006-05-15
Packaged: 2017-10-10 21:19:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/104392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sloganeer/pseuds/sloganeer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The thing about Atlantis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Elliott O'Riley

The thing about Atlantis is that you can't bring your past with you. With limited space and numerous rules about personal items, every member of the team has a chance to remake themselves. Every member of the team left someone behind -- boyfriends, girlfriends, cats, and mothers. John brought the important stuff with him -- Johnny Cash, his skateboard, his wings -- but there are times when the forest doesn't look quite right and his team doesn't look the same, and John feels like a whole new person.

"I feel like a whole new person," Rodney tells him one morning on their way to breakfast. He stopped at John quarters on the way, walked in, stole John's conversation starter, and made himself comfortable while John finished brushing his teeth.

"Who do you feel like?" he asks from the tiny bathroom.

"I'm still me. Rodney McKay. But I think maybe now I could beat up Elliott O'Riley."

In the mirror, John keeps his eyes on Rodney. Leave him alone long enough and Rodney gets into everything. He's already into John's computer.

"O'Riley?" John asks, pulling the toothbrush out of his mouth. "Is he that oceanographer on Major Deacon's team?"

"He was my high school bully," Rodney says from his spot on the bed. John is coming out of the bathroom when Rodney finally looks up, and he almost misses the boots Rodney throws at him. "He was in all my classes," Rodney explains. John sits at the desk to get his boots on. Rodney continues. "Except I was four years younger. He was threatened by my brain, so he tried to flush it down the toilet."

When John laughs, Rodney looks at him like he didn't know he was telling a joke.

"Are you done yet?" Rodney is at the door before John stands up. "You can't dawdle at breakfast."

They walk side by side through the residential area, but when the halls get crowded, Rodney takes the lead. He continues his story like he never stopped.

"If Elliott tried that today: Bam!" Rodney shouts, and accompanies the exclamation with a fist in his hand. The two Marines coming out of the mess laugh, until they see John. Oblivious, Rodney says, "I could take him down," and he jogs ahead to save them both a spot in the breakfast line.


End file.
